Loading machine



Jul 10, 1945.

F. D. GRlM Filed Feb. 3, 1.942

v INVENTOR. F'flrrasf fi. (imm- 'invention'relates tofa machine 1 ing compositions into containers and particularly a to a machine for pressing a charge in convenient Patented July 10, 1945 for pressmanner into a container provided with a threaded mouth while protecting the threads of the container against fouling by the 'charge and also preventing escape ofthe charge around the pressing element of the vmachine.

The machine is especially adapted for use in pressing the bursting charge into a shell such .as the Oerlikon anti-aircraft shell. The machine be illustrated, therefore, by detailed description in connection with filling the Oerlikon shell and in connection with the attached drawing, to which reference is made.

Q The invention comprises the herein described arrangement and combination of coacting parts including a punch adapted to press the charge into the selected container, a guide member disposed around the punch and adapted to extend at one end into the charging end of the container to be filled and to maintain the alinement between the guide member and the punch, spring pressed means for forcing the guide member at its forward portion into the container as the unch of the machine is moved in the direction of the charge to be compressed, a guide collar disposed outside the said guide member and adapted contact the outside ,of the charging end of the container and thus center the apparatus with respect to the container as the movement of the punch in the direction of the charge is initiated, and spring means for forcing the guide collar iirmly but yieldably against the outside of the shell. The shell is provided with the charging end having an interiorly threaded mouth l4 and 'a shoulder l6 that is below the threaded portion and is spaced somewhat from the threaded portion. The shoulder defines an annular space of somewhat smaller diameter than the diameter of the threaded portion;

The machine includes the pressing plunger or punch I8 of diameter and shape to fit within the shell without striking the shell. Disposed around the punch is the guide member which, at its end that is downward when the machine is in ipplication February a, 19432} Serial No. 429,355

= 2 Claims;

hurra STATES PATENT OFFICE t D. G i Allentown, Pa gassignor t0 TI'O- jan Powder Company,

corporation of New (c1. re-2e) is adapted to extend Within the threaded mouth of the shell and sufliciently therebelow to contact the shoulder 16 extending completely around the shell, while leavinga small space above the upper part of the threaded mouth of the shell. part of this guide member, ;is disposed around the punch and contacts at its upper end the spring stop 24-that may be inthe form of aring, 10'

with set screw 26 holding therring to the punch. .To center theapparatus with respect to the shell when the movement of the plunger in the direction of the'charge is first begun, there is used a guide collar 28 a lower part that isshaped to conform approximately at least with the-charging end of the shell. This guide collar is mounted slidably on union 30 which, in turn, is .attached at one end, as by threads, to the said guide member 20 and at the other end to a bushing 32. disposed above the said spring stop 24 and around the punch IS. The guide collar is held non-rotatably around this union30 by means of set screws or bolts 34 which ride in slots 36 in the said guide collar 28. 1

. The punch is centered by the construction shown with respect to the guide member 20 and the outer collar 28.

Disposed above the guide collar and around the union is a coil spring 38 and above the spring a stop or bearing ring 40 which is maintained in fixed relationship to the union 30 as by threads engaging the union.

' The spring 22 is preferably somewhat stlfier vthan the spring 38, So that, when the plunger movement downward is first initiated, the centering collar 28 is moved downwardly and firmly against the charging end of the shell, so as to center the apparatus, the spring 22 then moving down the thus centered guide member 20, so that the guide member forms a sealing contact with the shoulder and the charging end of the shell is engaged firmly in the annular space defined between the said guide collar and the guide member, the guide member and guide collar, after the completion of the movement of each, bein maintained by the assembly shown in approximately fixed spacing from each other.

Pressure upon the punch is obtained by mounting the punch on the ram of a conventional press (not shown).

For operation, a suitable support such as a table or bench (not shown) is provided for the shell and the machine is mounted thereabove at such an elevation that when pressure on the springs 22 and 38 is released, the shell may be Coil spring 22'rests upon the upper.

iorced on the support and directly under the machine. As the plunger is forced down by the press, the guide collar 8 is moved downwardly, under the spring pressure, against the outside of the upper part of the shell, so that the shell is exactly centered with respect. to the machine. 'As the plunger l8 moves farther down, the spring 22 presses the inner guide member downward so that the forward end of the said member contacts the shoulder within the charging end of a the shell. This forward portion of the guide member'is suitably of somewhat smaller internal diameter than the diameter of the portion of the shell below the shoulder, 50 that the plunger is prevented from striking any part of the shoulder or the inside of the shell. a The explosive charge that has been placed As the punch comes down upon the explosive charga'the charge is consolidated and caused to conform-to the shell space'below the punch, the dusting up or forcing of the explosive charge 7 cf the 'shell'being 'eifectively avoided by the spring pressed contact of the guide member 20' against is'decreased the work required in cleaning the threads after the explosive charge is compressed,

- .-1'aiid also there is decreased the danger of pre-' mature explosion on screwing in the nose of the shell (not shown) after the shell is filled with the bursting charge.

When the punch or plunger has been brought down to the desired extent, as shown, for examl pie, by the pressure recorded on a standard gage V on the press (not shown), the pressure is released and the ram of the press with attached punch is raised, whereupon a slight lifting action applied manually'to the guide collar 28 causes movement of the machine away from the shell 1 so that the shell may be removed from its po si- "tion on the support and a fresh shell with charge to be compressed inserted under the machine.

under pressure against the threads of the mouth he shoulder I 8 of the shell. As a result there within the shell in advance of the operation (167' .scribed may be in loose form, but is preferabl in pretableted condition.

. an interiorly shouldered wall and a mouth opening upwardly during the pressing operation, the machine comprising a punch serving as the pressing unit upon the said charge; a guide member for the punch fitting around the punch and holding the punch centrally therewithin; an exten- .sion of the guide member that at its lower end is smaller in internal diameter than the said mouth H at its most narrow portion, extends into the said mouth, and fits in sealing relation against the shoulder of the said wall; a coil spring disposed directly around the punch and resting upon the said guide member; a spring stop mounted upon the punch at a position above the guide member and engaging the top of the said spring; a guide collar for the container mounted slidably and,

centrally around the said guide member, the guide collar defining with the guide member a generally annular space to receive the charging end of the container; at second coil spring weaker than the first spring resting upon the guide collar; a second spring stop mounted upon. the guide member at a position directly above the second spring; and means for 'forcing the punch downward through the guide member and upon the charge in the container; the downward movement of the punch compressing the second spring, causing the guide collar to become seated upon the container, applying pressure through the first spring directly upon the punch guide member as the punch con- It will be understood that other containers into which charges of powdered, granular, or tableted compositions are to be compressed may be substituted for the Oerlikon shell described. It will be understood also that the guide collar and parts operating therewith may be omitted from the machine if the centering and stifiening eiTects obtained by the use of the collar are not desired.

.- Particularly. satisfact ry,resul sashtei onve ience, accuracy of operation, and firm seating of the apparatus upon the container to be filled are obtained, however, by the use of the guide collar and the springelement 38 which forcesthe guide collar into conformance with the upper part of the container.

Materials of construction of the machine are those which are usual in machines of the general class of the present one. Thus, brass, stainless steel, bronze, or like metals are satisfactory, meta part of smaller intemal diameter than the .tinues its downward travel, causing sealing contact of the lower end of the said extension of the guide member with the shoulder of the wall of the container, compressing the first spring, and causing the punch to enter the container.

2. A machine as described in claim 1 adapted for use in pressing an explosive charge in a shell provided with a mouth of threaded interior and :having a shoulder disposed inside the shell and below the threaded mouth and encircling an an nular opening of smaller diameter than the threaded mouth, the said guide member having threaded mouth and somewhat longer than the distance between the shoulder and the outer end sive with the threaded mouth during pressing of the charge within the shell.

FORREST D. GRIM. 

